1-Up Studio

1-Up Studio Inc.[lower-alpha 1] (stylized as "1-UP Studio Inc."), formerly Brownie Brown Inc.,[lower-alpha 2] is a Japanese video game developer founded on June 30, 2000, in Tokyo, Japan by Shinichi Kameoka and Kouji Tsuda who worked on the Mana series. The studio developed games for both Nintendo and Square Enix, including Magical Vacation and Sword of Mana.

This article is about the Japanese video game developer formerly known as Brownie Brown. For the tap dancer, see Ernest Brown (dancer).
1-Up Studio
Native name
1-UPスタジオ株式会社
1-Up Sutajio Kabushiki gaisha
FormerlyBrownie Brown Inc. (2000–2013)
TypeKabushiki gaisha (subsidiary)
IndustryVideo games
GenreVideo game development
Founded30 June 2000 (2000-06-30) in Tokyo, Japan
Founder
  • Shinichi Kameoka
  • Kouji Tsuda
HeadquartersIidabashi, Plano Stage Building 1704, 102-0071,
Fujimi, Chiyoda, Tokyo
,
Japan
Number of locations
1 studio (2020)
Key people
Gen Kadoi (President)
Number of employees
80 (2023)
ParentNintendo
Website1-up-studio.jp
Footnotes / references
[1][2]

On February 1, 2013, the company announced that due to their recent co-development efforts with Nintendo, they were undergoing a change in internal structure. As a result, the company took on its current name. At the same time, co-founder Shinichi Kameoka left to start an independent development studio, Brownies.

The company since the 2010s mainly works with Nintendo internal projects as a support studio to Nintendo EPD, with its staff mainly consisting of character artists, field artists, game designers/planners and programmers helping with different titles, but mainly the Super Mario 3D titles.[3]

History
Brownie Brown logo, in brown, containing a gnome between the words
Logo of the company's former name - Brownie Brown - used until February 2013

While the company existed as Brownie Brown, it consisted of many ex-Square Co., Ltd. 2D artists. At least two of its founders (Shinichi Kameoka and Kouji Tsuda) had previously worked on the award-winning Mana series on the Game Boy and Super NES platforms.[4] The founders left Square due to "differing ideals."[5] Kameoka elaborated that he wanted to make Game Boy Advance games, leading to the creation of Brownie Brown.[6]

The company's first original creation was the Japan-only Magical Vacation for the Game Boy Advance, which was released in 2001. Another popular title developed by Brownie Brown was Sword of Mana, which was created for and published by Square Enix. Thought to be a new title in the Seiken Densetsu series, it was actually an enhanced remake of the first game in the series, Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (known as Mystic Quest in Europe and Final Fantasy Adventure in North America).

The company has also been credited with the development of Mother 3 in a collaborative effort with Shigesato Itoi and HAL Laboratory for the Game Boy Advance, and Magical Starsign (Magical Vacation: When the Five Stars Align in Japan) for the Nintendo DS. Brownie Brown expressed interest in a Nintendo DS port of Mother 3 if Nintendo asked them to make it, and that they would like it to be enjoyed by fans abroad.[7]

While the company has only released video games for Nintendo's handheld video game systems up to this point, the company had previously announced a title for the GameCube, named Gofuku, which was scheduled for release in 2005 and was announced alongside Magical Vacation: When the Five Stars Align.[8][9]

The company later released Blue Dragon Plus for the Nintendo DS, developed alongside Mistwalker,[10] and entered into the downloadable games market in 2009 with A Kappa's Trail, a DSiWare game.[11] Brownie Brown also worked on the DS title Livly Garden, based on a browser game from So-net Entertainment, released in Japan on January 28, 2010,[12] and aided in the development of two Level-5 titles, Professor Layton's London Life, a bonus game included with Professor Layton and the Last Specter, and Fantasy Life, for the DS and 3DS respectively.[13]

On February 1, 2013, the company announced on their original official website that, as a result of their recent development cooperation efforts with Nintendo, Brownie Brown had undergone changes in internal structure, which included officially changing the name of their company to 1-Up Studio and becoming a support studio for Nintendo.[14][6] Upon the changes, Kameoka left 1-Up Studio to found Brownies due to wanting to make original games.[15][6] In the same year, Yoshiaki Koizumi became part of the board of directors of the company as one of its directors.[16]

In 2020, the company moved its headquarters to the new Nintendo Tokyo Office building at Kanda Square, Tokyo with Nintendo EPD Tokyo, Nintendo PTD Tokyo, HAL Laboratory Head Office and Tokyo R&D Center, and Game Freak.[17]

Games developed

as Brownie Brown
Year Title Platform(s) Publisher
2001 Magical Vacation[18] Game Boy Advance Nintendo
2003 Sword of Mana[18][lower-alpha 3] Square Enix
2006 Mother 3[18][lower-alpha 4] Nintendo
Magical Starsign[19] Nintendo DS
2007 Heroes of Mana[18][lower-alpha 3] Square Enix
2008 Blue Dragon Plus[20] AQ Interactive
2009 A Kappa's Trail[18] Nintendo DSi Nintendo
Professor Layton's London Life[21][lower-alpha 5] Nintendo DS Level-5
2010 Livly Garden[18] Marvelous Entertainment
2011 Super Mario 3D Land[22][lower-alpha 6] Nintendo 3DS Nintendo
2012 Fantasy Life[18][lower-alpha 5] Level-5

as 1-Up Studio
Year Title Platform(s) Publisher
2013 Flipnote Studio 3D[23][lower-alpha 6] Nintendo 3DS Nintendo
Super Mario 3D World[23][lower-alpha 6] Wii U
2014 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[23][lower-alpha 6]
2015 The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes[23][lower-alpha 7] Nintendo 3DS
2017 Super Mario Odyssey[23][lower-alpha 7] Nintendo Switch
2018 Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[23][lower-alpha 7]
Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
2019 Ring Fit Adventure[23][lower-alpha 7] Nintendo Switch
2020 Animal Crossing: New Horizons[23][lower-alpha 7]
Super Mario 3D All-Stars[23][lower-alpha 7][lower-alpha 8]
2021 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[23][lower-alpha 7]

Notes
  1. Japanese: 1-UPスタジオ株式会社, Hepburn: Wan-Appu Sutajio Kabushiki gaisha
  2. Japanese: 株式会社ブラウニー・ブラウン, Hepburn: Kabushiki gaisha Buraunī Buraun
  3. Co-developed with Square Enix.
  4. Co-developed with HAL Laboratory.
  5. Co-developed with Level-5.
  6. Co-developed with Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development.
  7. Co-developed with Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development.
  8. Originally developed by Nintendo EAD (64 & Sunshine) and Nintendo EAD Tokyo (Galaxy).

References
  1. "会社概要 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Archived from the original on 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  2. "会社の沿革 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  3. "キャリア採用情報 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  4. IGN Staff (September 29, 2000). "Beware of Hitchhiking Brownies". IGN. Archived from the original on 2005-02-13. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  5. Long, Andrew (November 3, 2000). "Brownie Brown President Talks About Name, Game". RPGamer.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  6. James, Paul (February 10, 2022). "Interview: Shinichi Kameoka (Mana Franchise, Egglia: Rebirth)". Player2. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  7. "Brownie Brown "Looking Into" Wii Development". Siliconera. January 20, 2009. Archived from the original on 2020-09-01. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  8. "GAF - News - Brownie Brown reveals new DS RPG & GC game". Archived from the original on 2006-03-21. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
  9. "RPGamer - News Bulletin - Brownie Brown Names Latest Project". Archived from the original on 2006-11-06. Retrieved 2006-06-19.
  10. "Brownie Brown developing Blue Dragon Plus". GoNintendo. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  11. Gantayat, Anoop (December 7, 2009). "Nintendo Teams with Brownie Brown for DSiWare". andriasang.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  12. Gantayat, Anoop (August 21, 2009). "Brownie Brown Returns on the DS". IGN.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
  13. Gantayat, Anoop (August 25, 2009). "Level-5 Shares Future Vision". IGN.com. Archived from the original on 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
  14. Ishaan (2013-02-01). "Nintendo Subsidiary, Brownie Brown, Changes Name To 1-Up Studio". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2020-08-27. Retrieved 2013-02-01.
  15. Romano, Sal (February 13, 2013). "Brownie Brown founder forms new studio". Gematsu. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  16. "会社概要 | 1-UP Studio Inc". 1-up-studio.jp. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  17. "HAL Laboratory Relocates to Nintendo Building". Game Rant. 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  18. "Brownie Brown Games". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  19. Gann, Patrick (November 26, 2006). "Magical Starsign". RPGFan. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  20. "Brownie Brown: From The Beginning To Blue Dragon Plus And Beyond". Siliconera. January 22, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  21. Fletcher, JC (September 21, 2011). "A brief look into Professor Layton's London Life". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  22. Suszek, Mike (February 2, 2013). "Brownie Brown changes its name to 1-Up Studio". Engadget. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  23. "1 Up Studio Games". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
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